Saturday marked the final day of racing at the 2015 Canadian Ski Nationals in Thunder Bay, Ontario. With temperatures dropping into the minus teens, under blue skies and strong winds, local favorite Michael Somppi of the Alberta World Cup Academy (AWCA) and Canadian National Development Team, originally from Lappe Nordic, racked up his third gold medal in the men’s 50-kilometer freestyle mass start.

Somppi beat veteran and 2014 champion Ivan Babikov of the Canadian World Cup Team by 28.2 seconds in 2:05:18.8. Kevin Sandau (AWCA/NST-Dev.) came in third (+47.2).

“I felt great skiing today,” Somppi wrote in an email. “It was a hard race but I was surprised I was able to win without going to my absolute limit. It was just an amazing feeling coming into the finish with the home crowd cheering me on. Maybe that’s what helped me feel so good today and really, this whole week.”

By the 20 k mark, the peloton narrowed down to a small group. Babikov then launched an attack with around 15 k to go. “I knew Ivan would make a strong decisive attack somewhere towards the latter stages of the race and my plan was to do my best to follow,” Somppi explained.

“He made his attack around 37 k into the race, I pushed hard with Graeme Killick to follow. We were both able to stay with him initially, but Graeme started to fade so I went by him and skied right up behind Ivan,” he continued. “The rest of the way, it was down to the two of us, exchanging the lead. When we neared the final kms, it was apparent Ivan’s legs were cramping up and as we crested over the second last big climb, I noticed I had a small gap on him. So I just blasted with everything I had left and opened up a good margin to the finish line.”

After traveling and competing on the World Cup circuit for the past weeks, Babikov explained he was not able to fully recover for Saturday’s long-distance race.

“Race plan was to save as much energy as possible and push the pace hard on the last two laps, which I did but my legs were feeling very tired from the beginning,” Babikov wrote in an email. “On the last 2 k, my legs just gave up on me, started cramping very badly so I even had to double pole some sections. I feel like travel and all 180 k of racing that I’ve done in the past four weeks finally caught up to me.”

On the women’s side, Cendrine Browne of the Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre (CNEPH) and national U23 team took gold in the 30 k mass start with a time of 1:23:02.4, edging out Emily Nishikawa (AWCA/NST-Dev.) by inches (+0.37). Dahria Beatty (AWCA/NST-U23) finished third, 6.1 seconds after Browne.

The three women and Andrea Dupont of Rocky Mountain Racers (RMR) quickly distanced themselves from the pack. On the final lap, Browne and Nishikawa sprinted for first in a photo finish.

In what could be the last sprint of her career, Perianne Jones (AWCA/NST-Dev. B), 30, celebrates her classic-sprint victory on Wednesday at 2015 Canadian Ski Nationals at the Lappe Nordic Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario. (Photo: CCC/Facebook)

(Note: This post has been updated to include comments from Michael Somppi.)

On Sunday, the second day of racing at 2015 Canadian Ski Nationals in Thunder Bay, Ontario, local favorite Michael Somppi of the Alberta World Cup Academy (AWCA) and Canadian National Development Team, originally from Lappe Nordic, racked up his second-straight gold in the men’s 10-kilometer freestyle interval start on his home trails. He beat his Lappe Nordic team-sprint teammate Andy Shields by 34.3 seconds to do so with a winning time of 23:09.4.

“The 10km skate was my best performance of the year,” Somppi wrote in an email. “I wanted the win and I started the race like it was a sprint qualifier. The conditions were fast and I did my best to keep my speed high on the faster sections of the course.”

While Shields, of NDC Thunder Bay, posted the fifth-ranked time at 5 k, he closed hard over the second half of the race to finish second ahead of Kevin Sandau (AWCA/NST-Dev.) in third (+38.4).

“I didn’t let up much on my first 5km lap, then I dug super deep to hang on in the second 5km lap,” Somppi explained. ” I actually took a small fall cresting over the last big climb less than a km from the finish when I skied too close to the edge of the trail and my tip got caught in the snow bank. It only cost me maybe 6 seconds, but it felt like an eternity trying to back up and get my ski tip out of the snow when my legs were so lactated.

“It was tense moments waiting after I finished to see if anyone would beat my time since I was an early starter,” he added. “I was both elated and relieved when I heard I had won. It was an amazing weekend claiming the team sprint title with Andy, then winning my first National title.”

Dahria Beatty (AWCA/NST-U23) won the women’s 5 k freestyle by 3.7 seconds over Perianne Jones (AWCA/NST-Dev. B) with a top time of 13:23.4. Andrea Dupont, of Rocky Mountain Racers (RMR), placed third (+9.1)

On Day 3, Tuesday in Thunder Bay, World Cup regulars Emily Nishikawa (AWCA/NST-Dev.) and Ivan Babikov (AWCA/NST-WCT) thrived on a blustery and -6 degree Celsius day to win the 10/15 k classic interval starts at Lappe Nordic.

Nishikawa started hard, building a 25-second lead over Jones on the first 5 k lap, but Jones cut the deficit to 2.3 seconds at the finish. Nishikawa won in 31:36.2, Jones took her second silver from 2015 nationals (following a second-place finish in the team sprint), and Cendrine Browne (CNEPH/NST-U23) was third (+1:04.7)

In the men’s 15 k, Babikov skied seven seconds faster than AWCA teammate Graeme Killick (NST-Dev. B) over the first 7.5 k and ended up 25.8 seconds ahead of him at the finish with a winning time of 38:31.2. Killick placed second, and Laval University’s Frédéric Touchette finished third (+37.1).

According to Cross Country Canada, it was likely the last sprint of Jones’ career. She narrowly edged Anita Kirvesniemi, of the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn.,to win her semifinal by 0.02 seconds. Both advanced to the final, where Kirvesniemi placed fourth (+4.78). Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt was fifth (+10.59), and Beatty crashed early to place sixth (+16.22).

In the men’s 1.6 k final, Cockney bested men’s runner-up Julien Locke (Black Jack) by 3.51 seconds and Norway’s Håkon Hjelstuen, of Michigan Tech University, by 3.66 seconds for his first individual win of the week.

The Lappe Nordic team of Andy Shields and Michael Somppi won the team sprint at the 2015 Canadian Ski Nationals in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The pair won Saturday’s race with a time of 14:04.59. They were followed by the Foothills Nordic team of Jess Cockney and Kevin Sandau, who trailed by 2.53 seconds. In third were Colin Abbott and Knute Johnsgaard of Whitehorse. They crossed the line 5.85 seconds behind the winning time.

“Somppi and I had a really good day,” Shields wrote in an email. “Our strategy was to have me push hard on the second and third legs to get a comfortable gap so Somppi could cruise into the finish … It’s absolutely thrilling to win for the home crowd here in Thunder Bay. A great start to the competitions for the fans. I’m glad my form came together for today’s race and it should bode well for the rest of the races.”

“It’s awesome to be home, racing on the trails I grew up skiing on,” Somppi wrote. “We’ve been thinking about this race all season and we definitely had our sights on gold so it feels great to realize that goal. I personally didn’t feel amazing out there today. I was skiing ok, but I felt a little flat, understandably after travelling back from Europe only I’ve days ago. Fortunately Andy Shields was crushing it out there today. He was able to give me a sizeable lead and I just had to keep it together to bring home the win.”

In the women’s team sprint, Maya MacIsaac-Jones and Andrea Dupont won for Rocky Mountain Racers. Their time of 16:29:55 bested the second place team from Nakkertok, made up of Katherine Stewart-Jones and Perianne Jones, by 2.55 seconds. In third was Annah Hanthorn and Dahria Beatty of Whitehorse who trailed by 4.38 seconds.

“Team sprint day was a great start to nationals. After being overseas racing it feels great to be back racing with my home club,” Dupont wrote in an email. “Maya, my teammate, had a super strong last lap and put us in a solid lead. It was a fun day and great to see so many club with strong teams.”

“The race was a little hairy at times,” Perianne Jones wrote. “The course wasn’t the widest for skate sprinting with so many girls close together, so there was quite a bit of contact, which was fun and something Canadians don’t get to experience much!”

Ontario was victorious in Saturday’s men 4 x 5-kilometer relay while Quebec earned gold on the women’s side on the fourth-and-final day of cross-country skiing at the Canada Winter Games in Prince George, British Columbia.

At the Otway Nordic Centre, Benjamin Wilkinson-Zan, Scott Hill, Jack Carlyle, and Evan Palmer-Charrette put together a winning time of 48:14.9 for Ontario, ahead of the men in blue representing Quebec (Dominique Moncion-Groulx, Julien Lamoureux, Philippe Boucher, and Raphaël Couturier), which placed second (+43.4). British Columbia’s Julien Locke, Colin Ferrie, David Palmer, and Geoffrey Richards took third (+1:35.1).

Raphaël Couturier, of St-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec, and Anne-Marie Comeau, of Abitibi, Quebec, notched victories in Thursday’s men’s and women’s 15- and 10-kilometer freestyle mass starts, respectively, on the third day of cross-country skiing at the Canada Winter Games in Prince George, British Columbia.

At the Otway Nordic Centre, Couturier crossed the finish line in 35:13.6, with a 7.7 seconds lead over Evan Palmer-Charrette, of Thunder Bay, Ontario, in second, and David Palmer, of Rossland, B.C., in third (+ 12.2). This was Couturier’s second medal after a bronze in Monday’s 10 k classic interval start.

On the women’s side, Comeau stopped the clock at 26:36.1, collecting her first medal at these Games. After losing Monday’s 7.5 k classic interval start by less than a second, Katherine Stewart-Jones, of Chelsea, Quebec, edged Maya MacIsaac-Jones, of Athabasca, Alberta, by one tenth of a second, for second place (+21.2). Stewart-Jones collected her third silver medal at these Games. Annah Hanthorn, of Yukon, winner of Monday’s 7.5 k classic interval start, missed the podium by two tenths of a second.

Colin Ferrie, of Kimberley, British Columbia, and Jenn Jackson, of Mihurst, Ontario, both came out on top in Tuesday’s classic sprints, on the second day of cross-country skiing at the Canada Winter Games in Prince George, British Columbia.

At the Otway Nordic Centre, Ferrie took the gold on the 1.5-kilometer course in 3:29.57, edging Scott Hill, of Toronto, Ontario, in second (+0.13) and Simon Lapointe, of Gatineau, Quebec in third (+0.76).

With her winning time of 3:50.97, Jackson, also the fastest in qualification, topped Katherine Stewart-Jones, of Chelsea, Quebec, by 1.90 second, and Marie Corriveau, of Quebec, Quebec, in third (+2.66), in the women’s 1.4 k classic sprint.

On Friday, Feb. 20, the biathlon races at Canada Winter Games in Prince George, British Columbia, ended with the traditional relays at the Otway Nordic Centre.

On in men’s 3 x 7.5-kilometer relay, the province of Quebec took gold, ahead of Alberta and Ontario. Félix Bérubé-Larochelle, of Lac-Mégantic, Zachari Bolduc, of Laval, and Teo Sanchez, of Wakefield, combined for the win in 1:04:25. Fifty-five seconds behind were Alberta skiers Jakob Chambers, Adam Runnalls and Ben Churchill, of Calgary. Ontario’s third-place finishers Jason Richard Lawton, of Orleans, Toby Quinn, of Thunder Bay, and Alexandre Dupuis, of Ottawa, finished 2:07 back from the winners.

In the women’s 3 x 6 k relay, British Columbia was victorious over Quebec and Alberta. Tekarra Elissa Banser, of West Kelowna, Claire Agnes Lapointe, of Pince George, and Emily Maria Dickson, of Burns Lake, triumphed on home soil with a time of 1:00:06. Quebec’s Charlotte Hamel, of Sherbrooke, and sisters Sarah Poisson-Grégoire and Anabelle Poisson-Grégoire, of Lac-Mégantic, finished two minutes behind. Alberta’s Kristen Chicoine, Darya Sepandj and Kendall Amy Chong, of Calgary, raced to bronze 3:05 behind the winners.

Monday marked the kickoff for cross-country skiing at the Canada Winter Games. Knute Johnsgaard and Annah Hanthorn, both of Yukon, notched victories in the men’s and women’s 10- and 7.5-kilometer classic interval starts at the Otway Nordic Centre.

Johnsgaard’s winning time of 25:48.1 was followed by Scott Hill, of Toronto, Ontario, who came in second place (+29.5), 5.3 seconds ahead of Raphaël Couturier, of St-Jean-Chrysostome, Quebec, in third.

Katherine Stewart-Jones, of Chelsea, Quebec, came close to winning the event, finishing seven-tenths of a second off Hanthorn’s winning time of 22:33.10. Kendra Murray, of Whitehorse, Yukon, placed third, 14.5 seconds back from Jones.

Matthew Hudec, of North Battleford, Saskatchewan, and Leilani Tam Von Burg, of Ottawa, Ontario, notched victories on Tuesday in the men’s and women’s 10- and 7.5-kilometer biathlon sprints, respectively, on the second day of biathlon at the Canada Winter Games in Prince George, British Columbia.

For Tam Von Burg, it was her second win in as many races so far at the 2015 Games.

The next day, Alexandre Dupuis, of Ottawa, and Emily Maria Dickson, of Burns Lake, B.C., started second and rose to first in the men’s 12.5 k and women’s 10 k pursuits.

At the Otway Nordic Centre on Tuesday, Hudec topped Dupuis by 24.5 seconds and Jules Bernotte, of Sherbrook, Quebec, in third (+34.8) for the men’s sprint win in 26:18.8.

The next day, Dupuis won the men’s pursuit by 18.9 seconds over Hudec in 35:45.4. Just 0.9 seconds back from Hudec, Teo Sanchez, of Wakefield, Quebec, placed third.

Tam Von Burg collected a 55-second victory in the women’s sprint over Dickson, while Nadia Moser, of Whitehorse, Yukon, was 1:01.7 back in third.

On Wednesday, Dickson went on to edge Tam Von Burg by 0.8 seconds in the women’s pursuit, and Moser once again rounded out the podium in third (+1:20.6).

Emily Nishikawa winning the women’s 15 k classic mass start by nearly a minute and three seconds on Sunday at the NorAm Eastern Canadian Championships in Gatineau, Quebec. (Photo: Fred Webster)

Note: This recap has been updated to include the correct time back and note Jenn Jackson’s crash in the women’s A-final.

Kevin Sandau and Emily Nishikawa racked up two more wins apiece this season at the NorAm Eastern Canadian Championships this past weekend in Gatineau, Quebec.

Sandau and Nishikawa, both Alberta World Cup Academy (AWCA) and Canadian National Development Team (NST-Dev.) skiers, swept the men’s and women’s distance races, respectively, on Saturday and Sunday at Nakkertok Nordic.

NorAm leader Michael Somppi (AWCA/NST-Dev.) on his way to winning the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on the first day of Eastern Canadian Championships on Jan. 30 in Gatineau, Quebec. (Photo: Fred Webster)

Somppi went on to place second in Saturday’s 15 k freestyle and third in the 10 k classic mass start. He qualified for the sprint in sixth, 2.59 seconds behind the top men’s qualifierSébastien Boehmler-Dandurand of the Pierre-Harvey Training Centre (CNEPH), the fastest in the fresh snow in 3:58.81.

“The sprint race was tough with soft conditions after a fresh snowfall on Thursday,” Somppi explained in an email. “The qualifier in particular was very soft on the big climb, which you do twice on the sprint course at Nakkertok. My legs felt a little heavy in the qualifier when I tried to really go and I was worried how I would feel in the heats.”

In the quarterfinals, Boehmler-Dandurand topped Colin Abbott (Yukon Elite Squad), and Somppi edged Evan Palmer-Charrette (Thunder Bay NDC), and all four advanced to the semifinals with eight others.

There, Russell Kennedy (Canmore Nordic) topped Somppi by 0.18 seconds, and both advanced to the A-final, along with the second semifinal winner, Andy Shields (NDC), and Sandau as the runner-up. Lucky losers with fast-enough times from the first semifinal, Boehmler-Dandurand and Julien Locke (Black Jack) moved on as well.

Somppi explained he raced strategically in the final, getting out to a strong start and taking the lead.

“Leading was good to avoid crashes or broken poles as the course was a little difficult to pass on, especially in the softer snow,” he wrote. “However there was a headwind on parts of the course and it was easy to blow your legs out leading so I kept the pace controlled and everyone else seemed pretty content with that for the first half of the race.”

Shields attacked the second time up the big climb, he explained.

“I was able to stick right on him, get his draft on the downhill and slingshot by him into the finish,” Somppi added. “I felt strong in the finish, but it was certainly a tactical win for me.”

Somppi won by 0.5 seconds in 4:07.10. Shields, his former teammate at Lappe Nordic, was second, and Sandau took third (+2.2). Kennedy placed fourth (+4.0), Boehmler-Dandurand was fifth (+8.98), and Locke was sixth (+14.85).

“I was delighted to see how soft the tracks were when I arrived in the morning because I knew it played to my advantage,” Shields wrote in an email. “The snow was very broken up on the climb which meant we had to pace things pretty conservatively on the first climb. But on the second time up the hill, it was really fun to blast away from the pack if I could.

“Somppi managed to cover my move on the last climb and worked the draft coming downhill into the final straight,” he added. “I was pretty happy with my first NorAm podium in two years and our Lappe 1-2.”

“The steep climbs had a lot of deep, soft snow to navigate,” Widmer wrote in an email. “It wasn’t the prettiest skiing I’ve ever done, but it did the trick. … I skied from the front for my quarter and semi final. In the final, Jen Jackson had a brilliant start and I tucked in behind her and Andrea Dupont. On the first time up the steep hill I pulled behind and passed them. I just went from there and didn’t look back.”

On Saturday, Widmer placed second in the 10 k freestyle individual start, 4.7 seconds behind Nishikawa, who won it in 30:15.8. Widmer started 1:15 behind Nishikawa and explained she started getting splits off her around 7 k, at which point she heard she was 20 seconds down.

“It is always extra motivation to push harder,” Widmer wrote. “Maintaining speed through the transitions was my main goal for today. There was quite a bit of navigating to do with so many racers on course at 15 second intervals. My distance racing usually means a really fast fast lap and hanging on to that pace as long as possible. I tried a different strategy today and it worked well. I’m glad that I had a decent distance day today because I’ve been struggling this season.”

After skipping the sprint, Nishikawa was pleased with her weekend and explained she felt better after Sunday’s 10 k classic mass start win than on Saturday.

“I have been training hard for World Champs, and haven’t done much hard intensity prior to Saturday’s race so I felt a little flat. But today I felt much better,” Nishikawa wrote after winning the mass start by more than a minute. “I am really excited to get over to Europe and get back racing on the World Cup.”

While she won Saturday’s 10 k skate by nearly five seconds, Nishikawa was almost a minute and a half faster than Dupont in third (+1:28). Brittany Webster (AWCA) placed fourth (+1:45.4), and Murray was fifth (+2:29).

The next day, Nishikawa won in 31:29.1, 1:02.56 faster than Murray in second. Webster was third (+1:04.57) after skiing in the top four throughout the race. Hicks placed fourth (+1:04.68) and Dupont was fifth (+1:25.23).

In an email, Webster explained that her podium on Sunday was her first classic race of the year after recovering from a stress fracture in her leg.

“I have only JUST begun to classic ski again,” she wrote. “My first workout was last week, and this race was the first time I have classic skied without any pain!!! YES!

“The week boasted sub-par results for me, but honestly, I really felt like I ‘won’ my races out on the course,” Webster added. “Trailblazer coach Rick Dickey told me something I will never forget, and that is to make a race plan, and execute 100%. If you did that, you won your race. That’s what I did! My body felt great this weekend, I just need some more miles in my race legs. It will come, and I think it will come fast.”

After starting near the back of the 125-man pack, Sandau led the interval start from start to finish.

“The trails are a bit flatter for my liking in Nakkertok but today I felt like I could push the flat sections and stay aggressive,” he wrote on Saturday. “A lot of the race just felt fast paced and high tempo for me, I could keep the RPM’s high and really hurt the body but still have good speed over the tops.”

He shared Saturday’s podium with two AWCA teammates, Somppi in second and Jack Carlyle, who was 1:05.5 back in third. Shields placed fourth (+1:22), and Kennedy was fifth (+1:34.6).

On Sunday, Sandau followed Abbott closely in second on the first of four laps, then led each loop thereafter, posting lap times that were consistently within four seconds of one another. With one lap to go, Shields as his closest challenger was 16.42 seconds behind.

“Because the race got shortened to a 15km from a 20km due to a he cold, I figured there wasn’t any time to play games and have some slow paced sections out there, so I tried to push all the climbing sections and keep the flats quick,” Sandau wrote on Sunday. “I skied to the front at about 2.5km and just kept the pressure on for the remainder to try to open the gaps up a bit. If it came to a sprint finish at the end I wasn’t going to fare well against the other guys in that.”

Shields finished second and explained he was “very happy” with his second podium of the long weekend.

“Things got tactical within the chase pack, but I made a very decisive move on the second last climb to claim second place,” Shields wrote. “Overall the weekend was exactly what I needed at this point in the year. I’m waiting to hear if I will be selected for a B-tour trip in the Baltic States which leaves Canada on Feb. 9th.”

Somppi was 32 seconds back in third for his third-straight podium of the weekend. Kennedy placed fourth (+35.53), and Bob Thompson (NDC) was another second back in fifth (+36.78).

“I was in a good position in second skiing behind Kevin on the first lap when unfortunately I took a crash and lost some positions and time,” Somppi explained. “I worked hard to get back to the group but just didn’t have it in me today to stick with Kevin. Happy I was able to finish on the podium. It was a mental battle skiing with a tired body today. Great to share the podium with teammates and my roommate.”

Michael Somppi (AWCA/NST-Dev.) on his way to winning the men’s 1.5 k freestyle sprint on the first day of Eastern Canadian Championships on Jan. 30 in Gatineau, Quebec. (Photo: Fred Webster)

Heidi Widmer (l) leading out of the start in the women’s 1.4 k freestyle sprint at Eastern Canadian Championships on Jan. 31 in Gatineau, Quebec. She won the qualifier and each of her heats en route to the overall victory. (Photo: Fred Webster)

Jennie Bender (BSF) skis into the finish of the 1.25 k classic sprint in Craftsbury, Vt. She won the SuperTour race by over a second. (Photo: Jon Lazenby)

Note: This post was updated with athlete quotes.

Bridger Ski Foundation’s Jennie Bender came out on top in Sunday’s 1.25-kilometer classic sprint in Craftsbury, Vt. After qualifying in the top position earlier in the day, Bender won the first SuperTour sprint since the 2015 U.S. Cross Country Championships with a final time of 3:26.26. Bender took control of the final from the start of the gun to easily cross the finish line in first.

Bender, a Vermont native, wrote she was happy with her performance in the race given her feelings surrounding the 20 k earlier this weekend.

“I wasn’t sure how I would feel out there today, since Friday’s 20k for me played out like a flight leaving Houghton; it just didn’t happen. But a little Hometown sprint racing was fun, and I’m looking forward to next weekend,” Bender wrote in an email.

She was followed by Liz Guiney of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project (CGRP), who trailed the winning time by 1.02 seconds. In a close third was Far West Elite’s Anja Gruber, 1.19 seconds back.

In the final, Guiney was able to tuck in behind Bender and Gruber throughout much of the course. By the time the women reached the stadium, it was battle for second between her, Gruber, and Stratton Mountain T2’s Erika Flowers.

“We had a bit of a double pole drag race between myself, Anja, and Erika Flowers for 2nd, 3rd and 4th. I was just happy to have enough in the tank at the end,” Guiney wrote in a post-race email. “It was a really fun day, great to ski on our home course and have cheering support from Outdoor Center employees and the Green Racing Project rowers.”

Due to the small field Gruber said she decided to ski conservatively early on so that she could perform in the final. In the end, it paid off as she held onto a podium position in the final sprint.

“I know I don’t have the most speed, so finish sprints are never really my favorite – but today I was pretty happy to edge out Erika on the last meters and miss second place just by a little bit,” she wrote in an email.

The men’s final in the SuperTour 1.5 k classic sprint in Craftsbury, Vt. (Photo: Jon Lazenby)

In the men’s race Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess of the Bend Endurance Academy bested the men’s field in the 1.5 k classic sprint. Blackhorse-von Jess was the top qualifier and retained his position with a time of 3:21.36 in the final. However, his win was by a slim margin as the top-four finishers clocked times within half-a-second of each other. Second place went to Kris Freeman of Freebird, who finished 0.28 seconds back from the winning time. In third was Alaska Pacific University’s Tyler Kornfield, 0.39 off pace. Fourth went to APU teammate Reese Hanneman (+0.49).

Blackhorse-von Jess, skied much of the final behind Freeman who took the lead from the start. The Bend Endurance Academy skier tried to pass Freeman one the course’s major climb, but was unable to get by the Freebird skier until the final meters.

“In the final Kris was pretty motivated to lead from the front in the final, so after I tried to pass him on the signature climb and couldn’t make it go (my legs were tired from the 30k!) so I tucked in behind him and then found the go to take it to the line,” he wrote.

Also in the final were University of Vermont’s Cole Morgan (+4.57) and APU’s Eric Packer (+9.41).

According to competitors, conditions were near-perfect in northern Vermont and they are happy to return to Craftsbury next weekend for three more SuperTour races.

“The conditions were cold but perfect. It was about zero degrees but no wind and a warm sun. Craftsbury set great, firm tracks,” Freeman said. He will use next weekend’s races as preparation for the upcoming World Championships in Falun, Sweden.

Blackhorse-v0n Jess on the other hand will not return to Craftsbury next weekend to get ready for the Östersund, Sweden World Cup.

Photos from the opening day of back-to-back SuperTour weekends in Craftsbury, Vt., with the women’s 20- and men’s 30-kilometer classic mass starts at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. All photos by John Lazenby/lazenbyphoto.com.

Chelsea Holmes of Alaska Pacific University (101) leads the pack in the women’s SuperTour 20 k classic mass start on Jan. 30 in Craftsbury, Vt. She went on to place seventh. (Photo: John Lazenby/lazenbyphoto.com)

Mary Rose of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation Gold Team (107) at the front of the pack in the women’s 20 k classic mass start in Craftsbury, Vt. (Photo: John Lazenby/lazenbyphoto.com)

Stratton Mountain School T2 Team skier Erika Flowers (104) near the front of the pack in the women’s SuperTour 20 k classic mass start on Jan. 30 in Craftsbury, Vt. (Photo: John Lazenby/lazenbyphoto.com)

Kris Freeman (second from r) topped the podium on Friday on the first day of back-to-back SuperTour weekends in Craftsbury, Vt. Freeman edged APU’s Eric Packer (third from right) by 0.1 seconds for the 30 k classic mass start win. Another APU skier, Reese Hanneman (r) rounded out the podium in third. Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess (BEA) was fourth, David Norris (APU) placed fifth, and Lex Treinen (APU) was sixth to give APU four of the top six. (Photo: Bend Endurance Academy/Facebook)

By Colin Gaiser

Kris Freeman (Freebird) had the finishing speed to hold off Alaska Pacific University’s Eric Packer and Reese Hanneman in the men’s SuperTour 30-kilometer classic mass start on Friday at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury, Vt.

Freeman won in a time of 1:23:32.9, while Packer came in just 0.1 seconds behind and Hanneman finished 5.7 seconds back to lock up third place. Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess (Bend Endurance Academy) was fourth (+7.5) and David Norris (APU) rounded out the top five (+8.9).

In the women’s 20 k, which had just 14 finishers, Caitlin Patterson of the local Craftsbury Green Racing Project (CGRP) led a tight pack of skiers at the finish and won in 1:05:48.8. Becca Rorabaugh (APU) was 2.9 seconds back, and Anja Gruber (Far West Elite Team) took the final spot on the podium (+4.3).

Erika Flowers (Stratton Mountain School T2 Team) was right behind in fourth (+5.2), Kaitlynn Miller (CGRP) took fifth (+6.0), and Rosie Frankowski (APU) finished in sixth (+7.3) in the back of the lead pack.

Freeman wrote in an email that the men’s race remained tight with about 10 k to go, compelling him to increase the pace at the start of the final 10 k lap. He led during the lap’s most significant climb, though Packer was right beside him at the top. The pack of Freeman, Blackhorse-von Jess, and the three APU skiers then reformed in the long following descent.

“With the group back together it was cat-and-mouse on some rolling terrain until we got to a large hill with 1 k to go,” Freeman wrote.

Freeman wrote that he mounted his final attack about a kilometer from the finish.

“Reese, Dakota, and Eric were right on me when I went but only Eric stuck with me. I had a few seconds on him with 100 m to go and I eased up a bit so it was close but not as close as the time indicates. There was no lunge to the line,” Freeman explained.

Packer wrote in an email, “I was hoping to use my double pole finish to catch [Freeman], and almost did, but I ran out of track and he edged me to the line. He was the stronger skier today.”

However, Packer explained that he was “incredibly happy” with his result and his body felt strong throughout the race.

Hanneman wrote that the fresh snow on the course made it a very tactical race where multiple racers took turns in the front of the pack.

“I was feeling pretty strong, and had more of a punchy style where I was able to do a couple really aggressive attacks where I could gap the field in a short amount of time,” Hanneman explained.

However, after Freeman began his attack and picked up the pace during the final lap, it became a race to keep up with him — and only Packer was able to challenge him down the final stretch.

In the women’s race, Patterson — winning on her 25th birthday — wrote in an email that she stayed out of the lead and decided to conserve her energy throughout the race, but stayed within the main pack of eight skiers.

“I dug deep to stay with them, knowing that if someone could make a break for it at the top of that big hill and get over the other side ahead, it might be the decisive move,” she explained. “No one really went for it, although the pace was definitely kicking up, but the pack came back together mostly on the downhill and rolling section.”

Patterson explained she was in fourth while taking the final sharp curve about 400 meters before the finish, but her momentum carried her past the skiers in the left, inside track. After establishing some breathing room, she switched to the other track and managed to out-double pole the pack on the final, downhill 100-meter stretch.

Because the finish was so close, Patterson wrote that it “came down to how much energy and speed we could muster for that last 400 m, with a little bit of luck and good positioning playing into the mix as well.”

SuperTour racing continues in Craftsbury on Sunday with classic sprints. The Craftsbury Marathon will take place Saturday.

Larry Sinclair, a founding member of Highlands Trailblazers Ski Club in Duntroon, Ontario, passed away on Monday after battling cancer. (Photo: CCC)

Larry Sinclair

It is with great sadness that Cross Country Ontario and Cross Country Canada announce the passing of Larry Sinclair. As a young man, Larry competed both at the provincial and national level. The Sinclair family name was synonymous with cross country skiing in Collingwood. Larry’s dad, Jim was very involved as a coach and in sport development and Larry’s brother Shawn and sister Shelly have always been and still are heavily involved in officiating and management in the sport.

In the late ’70s and ’80s, Larry turned his focus from competing to coaching. Larry started out as the coach of a successful University of Guelph ski team introducing the sport to many and developing lasting friendships, through his quiet and humble enthusiasm and passion for excellence.

His interest in university sport was always strong and he led the first Canadian team to the World University Games, 1989 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He was also an innovator, leading several junior, provincial team trips to Europe to help young athletes gain valuable international experiences. Future National Team members such as Al Pilcher and Darren Derochie and others really benefitted from this experience.

Larry was a wax technician with the Canadian team at the 1988 Calgary Olympics and also assisted on other National Team assignments. In Canada, Larry led Southern Ontario and Ontario for many years as Head Coach and is a past recipient of the Heinz Niederhauser Coaching Award for excellence in coaching. It was fitting as Heinz was one of Larry’s important mentors, as he grew up as an athlete and coach.

Larry was instrumental in the development of the sport as an independent entity in Ontario. CCO was formed allowing it to directly access provincial funding moving it away from a bureaucratic model where funding was filtered through the alpine dominated Provincial Ski Association and the Ontario Ski Council.

In the ’90s, Larry turned more of his attention to the coaching of coaches and administration and as a course conductor was a key figure in nurturing the development of many young coaches. Many of those he worked with went on to be coaches and course conductors themselves, positively affecting the lives of many more coaches and athletes.

Larry was always actively interested in the equipment aspects of the sport, his “museum” collection of old Fischer racing skis and his work with Ski Trax on equipment reviews were among his more personal interests. He was the SkiTrax Buyer’s Guide editor for over a decade dating back to the first guide launched in October 1991. He oversaw the transition to a North American guide in 1995 and travelled to Scandinavia in 1999 visiting a half a dozen companies for the Factory Tour series.

Benjamin Sadavoy, Ski Trax editor and publisher described Larry as “a true pioneer and a legendary soul that was quick to laugh. We couldn’t have done it without him. SkiTrax joins the ski community in sending condolences to his family and friends.”

As the founding member of the Highlands Trailblazers Ski Club, Larry has mentored athletes and coaches to great achievements and inspired many young athletes to pursue racing. You also always knew that Larry would be able to find a place for you to stay the night when you were passing through the area. “Larry`s Farmhouse” has always been one of the key overnight stops for the avid racer and developing coach.

The Highlands Nordic facility has developed into one of the finest, all privately funded, cross country facilities in the country and has hosted multiple Ontario Cups, OFSAA Championships, and the Canadian National Championships. It was a family operation with any profits in a volatile, weather related business, going back into the further development of the facility itself.

Most recently, the facility hosted the World Junior/U23 Trials where some of us were fortunate to have a last visit with Larry. Being able to see the quality and quantity of racers competing at the event and meeting old friends, gave Larry great pleasure over the weekend.

Larry was inducted into the Collingwood Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in November 2014. He brought his passion for skiing to his latest role as Cross Country Ontario High Performance Chair where again his love of coaching was demonstrated.

The ski community has lost a great champion of racing and athlete development and builder of the sport. He was a kind and generous person, always willing to help out and get the job done. Our sincerest condolences to his wife Pat, daughters Kelly and Megan, and the Sinclair family as we all mourn their loss.

Funeral arrangements will be announced as they become available. A celebration of Larry’s life will be planned for the spring.

CANMORE, Alberta — This past weekend’s NorAm Western Canadian Championships wrapped up the test run for when the Tour de Canada brings the World Cup to Canmore and Lake Louise, Alberta, next year.

Saturday’s 1.3 k Freestyle Sprint

Above-zero temperatures and sunny skies made for extremely fast conditions for Saturday’s sprint in Canmore. The course was a genuine sprint loop at 1.3-kilometers long and with virtually no flat sections.

Andy Shields (NDC Thunder Bay) posted the fastest qualifier time for the senior men. By the end of the day, Michael Somppi of the Alberta World Cup Academy (AWCA) and national development team pulled away from the field and take his place atop the podium, winning the A-final in 2:43.11.

“I made a split-second decision and attacked before anyone else behind us [Black Jack’s Julien Locke and I] caught up,” Somppi said. “Fortunately it was enough to get some separation and I was able to hang on in the finish stretch to win.”

The fight for second place was the excitement sprints are known for with the remaining five skiers within a second of one another. Locke was the skier with the best reach, finishing second, 1.68 seconds after Somppi.

“My strategy in the heats was to stay relaxed and try to make it to the A-final without spending all my energy to get there,” Somppi said.

Knute Johnsgaard (Yukon Elite Squad) took the final podium position finishing third, just five-hundredths of a second after Locke. Ian Murray (Rocky Mountain Racers) was the surprise of the final, finishing fourth, 2.32 seconds after Somppi, after qualifying in 24th, 15 seconds off the pace.

The top qualifier, Shields took fifth, one-hundredth of a second behind Murray. Sébastien Townsend (Alberta World Cup Academy) rounded out the final in sixth (+2.59).

A new rule change regarding false starts in sprint heats changed the woman’s race significantly on Saturday. The rule states that a false start merits a written warning, and any other false start that season results in an automatic disqualification.

The top women’s qualifier, two-time Olympian Perianne Jones (AWCA/NST-Dev. B) fell victim to this rule with a false start in her quarterfinal, which took her out of the competition. The women’s favorite of the day was now out of the running, this greatly changed the race dynamic.

“Things might have been faster off the start [with Jones in the final] but we had a tactical heat.” Andrea Dupont (RMR) said on Sunday. “I led off the start then tucked in behind. I thought about making an early move, but on this course its all about the finishing straight and I was able to attack and get in front.”

Dupont was quick to capitalize on the absence of Jones, cruising to a decisive A-final win in 3:07.03, 2.17 seconds ahead of Heidi Widmer (AWCA/NST-Dev.) and RMR teammate Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt 3.39 seconds back in third.

“My legs felt tired in qualifying, I just couldn’t push.” Bouffard-Nesbitt said. “I was just pumped to feel a little better in the heats.”

Sunday morning’s conditions were drastically different from the day before; a dusting of fresh snow and strong wind made the 20 k men’s race and 15 k women’s race a true test of endurance.

Sixty men took to the soft tracks first, and halfway through the race, three men broke away from the pack and would remain in front for the remaining 10 k.

Somppi and Kevin Sandau, both development-team members and AWCA teammates, were familiar leaders in the NorAm distance race. Biathlete Scott Perras (Biathlon Canada) was a new face in the usual mix.

“I really tried to break up the group on the uphills; I didn’t want it to come down to a sprint.” Perras said afterward. “I have always been a good climber and felt strong today”

Perras tried to force Somppi to lead into the final downhill but Somppi stuck behind and pushed for the victory in 55:56.50, 2.39 second ahead of Perras. Sandau grabbed the last podium spot in third, 8.9 seconds after Somppi.

“I would have liked to be a bit more aggressive on the final seven kilometers but didn’t have much left in the tank,” Sandau said, adding he might have picked the wrong skis for the day because he had to work very hard to stay with Somppi and Perras.

The women spread out early in the race, as Emily Nishikawa, who won Saturday’s B-final for seventh overall in the sprint, pushed the pace early in the first lap. Only Bouffard-Nesbitt attempted to go with her. Nishikawa remained in the lead the entire race, winning it by nearly a minute and a half in 46:30.89.

Bouffard-Nesbitt stuck in second for the rest of the race, holding off Beatty and Dupont to finish there, 1:27.5 behind Nishikawa.

“I’ve been really tired with all the racing lately; this is my sixth race in 11 but I felt strong today and was able to go out there and push,” Nishikawa said, adding of the tough conditions: “Racing is racing, you have out there and push.”

Nishikawa said she has used this weekend as preparation for next years Tour de Canada: “It’s a like our own mini-tour,” she said. “I was tired racing yesterday but I talked to my coach and we are using these races to prepare for next year.”

A very strong last lap brought Beatty into third place, three seconds behind Bouffard-Nesbitt and 1:30.9 behind Nishikawa. Dupont finished another 8.5 second later in fourth, Hicks was fifth (+2:42.9) and Amanda Ammar (Canmore Nordic) took sixth (+2:56.6).

Day 1 of the three-day NorAm Western Canadian Championships from Jan. 15-18 in Lake Louise, Alberta. (Photo: Martine Zilligen/CCC)

By Gerry Furseth

The NorAm ventured to Lake Louise, Alberta, for the Western Canadian Championships Thursday through Sunday, a test event for the 2016 Tour du Canada World Cup stage.

Unlike most Continental Cup events, the course does not meet International Ski Federation (FIS) homologation standards. The trails are much narrower than the 4-metre minimum and there is a distinct lack of climbing. What Lake Louise does offer is scenery that makes more traditional venues like Canmore and Whistler Olympic Park look boring in comparison. The 2016 World Cup event in Lake Louise is still pending approval from Parks Canada.

Brian McKeever (Canadian Para-Nordic Team) double poling to second place in the 10 k classic at NorAm Western Canadian Championships on Thursday in Lake Louise, Alberta. (Photo: Martine Zilligen/CCC)

The men started off Thursday with a 10-kilometer classic interval start on a single loop. Kevin Sandau (Alberta World Cup Academy/NST-Dev.) edged out Brian McKeever (National Para-Nordic Ski Team) by three seconds for the victory in 26:25.7. Michael Somppi (AWCA/NST-Dev.) was third, 23.1 seconds behind.

Sandau was happy to get a victory on a course that he didn’t think suited his strengths.

“I had both skate and classic skis waxed in case I decided to double pole it,” Sandau wrote in an email. “While a few guys did end up using skate skis, my coaches and I made the call to use kick wax 10 minutes before my start.”

“I’m glad I chose to do that as after only skiing the course once yesterday, the few climbs were a bit longer than I remembered.”

McKeever chose skate skis and seemed happy with his choice, tweeting, “Fun race in Lake Louise today. Double polling almost got me the W, but feel short in a close one to @KevinSandau. A good battle!”

Somppi used classic skis to continue his run of third-place finishes.

“I had planned to double pole,” he wrote. “However my classic skis were feeling really good when I tested them so I decided to classic on slippery skis with minimal drag.

“I think it wasn’t the best decision. They were plenty fast but I wasn’t able to take advantage of being on classic skis on the climbs because my kick wasn’t good enough to really power up them. If I did it again I would probably double pole the race.”

Bob Thompson (NDC Thunder Bay) led at the 4 k timing point on classic skis, before fading to seventh, 41 seconds back.

“I went a bit lighter on the grip and had a great first half to the race, but then had to use a bit more energy trying to climb than I thought I would have to and lost a bit of time.”

The decision between classic and skate skis for distance races has not usually been difficult in North America. On an unusual single-loop course, Sandau and Johnsgaard skied the second half together.

“[My] race plan was sort of just to floor it the whole way,” Sandau wrote. “I was lucky enough to catch my 30-second guy near the halfway point, and because he was double poling I was able to keep my speed up sitting in behind him for the flatter section.”

Knute Johnsgaard (Yukon Elite Squad), who started 30 seconds ahead of Sandau, had a different strategy.

“It was my first time double poling a distance course so I just made sure I left enough energy for the uphills later in the course,” Johnsgaard wrote.

Like McKeever, Johnsgaard would choose skate skis again, despite finishing sixth, 38 seconds back on skis that didn’t give him all the advantage he expected.

“The AWCA [team] nailed their skis today as Kevin’s classic were at least as fast as my skate,” he wrote.

Continuing with the unusual, the women’s race was the same length as the men’s.

Emily Nishikawa (AWCA/NST-Dev.) continued her strong season with another clear victory in the women’s 10 k classic in 30:14.1, clocking the fastest checkpoint times at 4 k and 9 k.

Perianne Jones (AWCA/NST-Dev. B) was second, 38.9 seconds behind, after recovering five seconds on Nishikawa in the final kilometer.

Dahria Beatty (AWCA/NST-U23) completed the podium, 1:21 back from Nishikawa.

Two weeks ago, the NorAm mini tour at Highlands Nordic in Duntroon, Ontario, was in jeopardy of not happening — with insufficient snow to run the event with nearly 450 racers expected, according to Cross Country Canada. Cold temperatures and plenty of snow came through, however, and three days of racing took place from Thursday, Jan. 8, to Sunday, Jan. 11.

Two-time Olympian Perianne Jones and Jesse Cockney, also of the Canadian National Development B-team and coming off World Cup races in December, notched classic-sprint victories on Saturday.

During Sunday’s 10/15-kilometer freestyle interval starts, two other Alberta World Cup Academy skiers, Emily Nishikawa and Kevin Sandau (both on the national development team) topped the podium.

Jones was the fastest women’s qualifier in the 1.5 k sprint on Saturday in 3:57.71, 4.85 seconds ahead of Andrea Dupont (Rocky Mountain Racers), who advanced to the quarterfinals in second.

Jones went on to win the senior women’s A-final by 10 seconds over Dupont, and Cendrine Browne, of the national U23 team and Pierre-Harvey Training Centre (CNEPH), placed third, after already qualifying for Canada’s U23 World Championships team.

“It’s always nice to come out on top. Duntroon is a special place for me,” Jones wrote in an email after Saturday’s race. “My whole family was here today including my grandparents and aunt and uncle. So it was fun to put things together for them. My first coach Heinz Neiderhauser passed away here 7 years ago, and it was the first time being back on these trails since then, so I like to think I may have had a little extra help out there.”

Browne was ecstatic about her best-ever sprint. In an email, she explained that she set a goal of making the A-final.

“I never had a good result like this one in sprints,” Browne wrote. “I always said I wasn’t a sprinter, but after today I will stop saying that! … Before the final, my coach told me: All you have to do in this heat is have fun. That was true. I was there, I was in the A final, I could go down, only up. And I did! I was behind Perianne Jones till the last 150 meters. Then Andrea Dupont passed me on the final stretch.

“It feels so good to be on top of my game and to feel so strong,” she added. “I am so happy. I was literally smiling and jumping after my race today.”

Bob Thompson of the Thunder Bay National Development Centre (NDC) won the 1.8 k men’s qualifier in 4:12.10, just 0.47 seconds over Raphaël Couturier (CNEPH), who prequalified for U23 World Championships. Thompson, Cockney, and Patrick Stewart-Jones (AWCA) each won their quarterfinals, but Nakkertok’s Sébastien Townsendedged both Thompson and Cockney, respectively, in a semifinal photo finish to put himself in position for selection to U23 Worlds.

Black Jack’s Julien Locke won the second semifinal by a second over Stewart-Jones. In the senior men’s A-final, Cockney attacked on the last climb to pull out a three-second win over Stewart-Jones, and Thompson finished third.

“The race today was sort of all over the place,” Cockney wrote in an email. “I stumbled a few times in the heats and fell in the qualifier but there were good feelings in between all the sloppy skiing.”

That night, Cockney and Stewart-Jones, the early season NorAm leader, were headed to Europe in advance of the World Cup sprints Jan. 17-18 in Otepää, Estonia.

“Physically I didn’t feel great and felt like I was still tired from the 30km,” Stewart-Jones wrote in an email, referencing Thursday’s 30 k skiathlon, in which he placed 12th. “I just tried to race smart and take advantage of every opportunity I could get and in the end I came out with the best possible result I could have on [Saturday] so I’m happy with that.

“The season has been going really well as far as sprinting goes,” he added. “I have yet to hit my stride in distance but I’m sure that will come. Now I’m getting the opportunity to race some World Cups so I’m pretty excited about that!”

Thompson, who achieved his second NorAm of the season and is currently third in the NorAm rankings, explained that Cockney “made a big move on the last climb I couldn’t match and Patrick got ahead on the last downhill and I couldn’t make up the gap before the line.

“I felt strong all day and was really happy to have won my first sprint qualifier,” he wrote. “I had big hopes for the A-final and am pleased to get another NorAm sprint podium. I’ve been working on my sprinting for the last few years and it feels great that it is paying off.”

National junior team member Maya McIssac-Jones (RMR) edged Sophie Carrier-Laforte (Skinouk/NST Junior Team) in the junior women’s 1.5 k qualifier by 1.14 seconds in 4:12.12. MacIsaac-Jones went on to win her quarterfinal and semifinal before claiming a sizable A-final victory over Katherine Stewart-Jones (Nakkertok/NST Junior Team), who qualified in third and won her quarterfinal and semifinal as well. With her classic-sprint win, McIssac-Jones qualified for Junior World Championships. Annah Hanthorn (YST/NST Junior Team) placed third.

Julian Smith (NDC Thunder Bay) was the fastest junior men’s 1.8 k qualifier by 5 seconds over teammate David Askwith in 4:20.23. Smith went on to top his quarterfinal and ultimately the final by 1.5 seconds over Ricardo Izquierdo-Bernier (CNEPH/NST Junior Team) in second. Joey Foster (Team Hardwood) placed third overall, after edging Smith in the semifinal to advance to the final.

On Sunday, Sandau posted the fastest splits throughout most of the men’s 15 k freestyle to win in 45:18.2, 24 seconds ahead of AWCA teammate Michael Somppi, also of the national-development team. The top U23 of the day, Couturier placed third (+42.2).

“I knew it was going to be a hard 15km but I was looking for some redemption from Thursday’s mishap,” Sandau wrote in an email on Sunday, referencing his eighth place in the 30 k skiathlon. “From early on I grabbed the lead and just tried to grab more time on the climbing sections where I felt particularly good.

“My classic skis were abysmally slow in the pursuit and right from the start I switched into survival mode,” he added. “After trying to close the gap down on Killick and taking lead for most of the first skate lap, I eventually gassed myself. … My season and fitness seems to be trending upwards. I feel the fitness was still there and Sunday sort of proved that to me. I missed the chance to race in [at the Jan. 24-25 World Cup in] Rybinsk, but right now focussing on Westerns and Easterns and just trying to race as much as possible.”

Somppi explained he gave Sunday’s race “everything I had and was hoping for a victory, but Kevin was too strong for me,” he wrote. “He had a really strong performance. Overall my weekend was very solid, but unfortunately I needed better than solid to qualify for the Rybinsk World Cup races. I’m really happy with the consistency but I’m still searching for some next level performances. I don’t feel I’ve had any kind of big peak for any races yet this year.”

“I struggled with the slow conditions and the body was a little fatigued,” he explained in an email “I know the skate individual is something I need to continue to work on.

“I was really happy with the weekend,” he added. “The conditions leading into the pursuit were very slow with a pretty easy classic course so I was a little nervous about trying for a break. When I managed to get away on the last lap of the classic I felt quite strong and ended up putting time on the field for the next few laps.

“I had a rough start in the early World Cups but was able to have some better races finally in Davos. I was on the edge of making it into the points but it was encouraging to have some close races and get to know the world cup speed. I am looking forward to getting some mass start opportunities in the second half of the season.”

Another World Cup racer, Nishikawa won her second of three races in Duntroon — the women’s 10 k freestyle — by a commanding 1:03.2 minutes over Browne in second. Jones was just 0.5 seconds behind Browne in third.

“I started hard, and was able to hang on to that pace for the entire race,” Nishikawa explained. “My lap times were very consistent. I pushed myself really hard, and am happy with the result.

Overall, it was a pretty good weekend in Ontario. I am back in Canmore now, looking forward to racing here this weekend.”

In an email on Tuesday, Browne wrote that the 10 k went better than she expected.

“I was starting to get a little tired after doing two big races but I told myself that everybody was tired and that I didn’t have any excuse,” she wrote. “I just gave everything that I had left and it gave a very good result! I couldn’t believe it, another senior podium! … My three races were some of the best races I ever did. I still think this is all a dream! But then I remind myself all the hard work I did in the past few years and then tell myself that I earned every medal I won. These medals are the proof of all my hard work. I am so so proud of myself for these accomplishments.”

Jones didn’t have many expectations for Sunday; she didn’t ski the course beforehand, but she called the 10 k “great training” and “really fun.”

Before heading back to Canmore early this week, she planned to visit her grandfather briefly in Midland, Ontario.

“I’ll race at Westerns, and do some good training, and then hopefully head over to Europe at the beginning of February,” Jones wrote. “Nothing has been decided quite yet, but I’d like to get some more racing in, both sprints and distance races.”

“I set out on my last lap in third, in contention with Cendrine and Peri for second place,” she wrote. “Our splits were pretty tight, and then I totally lost it on the last lap. I think I ran out of gas on the climbing section of the last lap and managed to lose 20+ seconds on the girls. I’m really happy with how I raced the first three laps, and I know how I can improve on the last one, so a really positive day for me!”

Izquierdo-Bernier punched his ticket to return to World Juniors as well, winning the junior men’s 10 k freestyle by 34.1 seconds over fellow CNEPH and national-junior team member Zachary Cristofanilli in 31:20.1. Skibec’s Edouard Reed-Métayer placed third (+56.9).

HOUGHTON, Mich. — Anyone following the final U.S. Cross Country Championships races on Saturday wasn’t seeing double: Rosie Brennan of Alaska Pacific University (APU) and Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess (Bend Endurance Academy) indeed topped the podium in the second-straight 1.5-kilometer sprint of the week.

Blackhorse-von Jess qualified first in the freestyle sprint, then won his quarterfinal and semifinal before rocketing to the front of the pack in the men’s final. He edged Tyler Kornfield (APU) by 1.16 seconds for the win in 3:31.02. APU had two on the podium and three in the top five with Reese Hanneman in third (+2.57) and Lex Treinen in fifth (+4.1).

Kris Freeman (Freebird) finished just five-hundredths of a second behind Hanneman to place fourth (+2.62), and Håkon Hjelstuen (Michigan Tech/Norway) was sixth (+6.23).

Brennan clinched her third-straight title of the week, a first since her APU teammate and U.S. Ski Team member Kikkan Randall won all four races at the 2010 nationals in Anchorage, Alaska.

Brennan qualified third, then dominated her quarterfinal and won her semifinal as well before dropping the women’s final field to win by 6.1 seconds over Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) in 4:04.97. Last year’s skate sprint champion Jennie Bender (Bridger Ski Foundation) finished just 0.32 seconds after Gregg in third.

APU took three out of the top five with Chelsea Holmes in fourth (+7.77), her best-ever sprint result at nationals, and Becca Rorabaugh in fifth (+10.3). Erika Flowers (Stratton Mountain School T2 Team) rounded the final in sixth (+16.18).

HOUGHTON, Mich. — After not starting either the classic sprint and 20 k at the 2015 U.S. Cross Country Championships, Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) came out on top of the field in the 1.5 k freestyle sprint. With a time of 4:15.77 Gregg bested Jessica Yeaton (APU) by 2.23 seconds. In third was APU teammate Rosie Brennan, 2.26 seconds back from Gregg.

Fourth and fifth went to Craftsbury’s Caitlin Patterson (+7.26) and Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks’ Christina Truman (+12.29).

HOUGHTON, Mich. — Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess of the Bend Endurance Academy returned to the top of the results list with a 3:32.13 in Saturday’s freestyle sprint qualifier at the 2015 U.S. Cross Country Championships. Charging ahead of second place finisher Logan Hanneman of the University of Alaska Fairbanks by 3.52 seconds, Blackhorse-von Jess won his second qualifier of the week.

In third was Sun Valley skier Miles Havlick, who finished 4.61 behind the winning time.

HOUGHTON, Mich. — It’s the final day of racing at the 2015 U.S. Cross Country Championships and competitors are rearing to tackle the 1.5 k course in Saturday’s freestyle sprint. In stark contrast to Tuesday’s classic sprint where over seven inches of snow accumulated on the course between 8 and 11 a.m., Saturday’s sprint features a hard-packed course and relatively clear skies. Temperatures are sitting around one degree Fahrenheit and are expected to climb to 12 later today.

The men’s qualifier begins at 10 a.m. EST followed by the women at 11. Heats kick off at 12:00. Find live timing at SuperiorTiming.com.